Arsenal ‘scouting’ £68m talent at AFCON ahead of summer transfer with January deal ‘impossible’ | OneFootball

Ousmane Diomande is a reported target for Arsenal.

Arsenal have had scouts in attendance at the African Cup of Nations to watch Ivory Coast centre-back Ousmane Diomande, according to reports.

Diomande has been on the Gunners’ radar for a while with Mikel Arteta eager to bolster his defence.

The 20-year-old has been brilliant for Sporting in Portugal and has racked up 38 appearances for the club across all competitions.

He moved to the Portuguese capital from Danish side FC Midtjylland in January 2023 for €7.5million.

Sporting want around ten times what they paid for the promising centre-back, who is currently at AFCON with Ivory Coast, where the competition is being held.

The host nation got through to the last 16 of the competition by the skin of their teeth following a finishing third in their group after winning one and losing two.

Diomande played the full 90 minutes of Ivory Coast’s second game – a 1-0 defeat to Nigeria – after playing 77 minutes in the 2-0 win over Guinea-Bissau.

He did not make the squad for the humiliating 4-0 loss against Equatorial Guinea, though.

Keen on signing him, Arsenal have reportedly been in attendance to watch Diomande in action at AFCON.

This is according to Portuguese outlet A Bola (via Sport Witness), who says the Gunners are not alone in sending scouts to watch the Ivorian.

Several clubs in the Premier League have been making ‘detailed reports’ about the young defender, despite the fact it will be ‘impossible’ to sign him in January.

Diomande has an €80m (£68m) release clause and Sporting do not want to sell the player for a penny less, the report emphasises.

The report adds that the 20-year-old might agree a new contract when he returns from AFCON, due to his low salary.

This could see his release clause change, though it is hard to imagine Sporting will give him a higher weekly wage and lower his exit clause fee.

There remains ‘potential’ for a summer transfer and Arsenal are expected to be in the picture.

As already touched on, the January signing of Diomande will be extremely difficult.

Arteta is also in the market for a new striker but reports suggest he will bring in a versatile defender if he is to make any signings before Wednesday’s transfer deadline.

The striker everyone is linking to the Gunners is Brentford’s Ivan Toney, .

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